Adjustable hoof-expander.



Hinged sections, Y( Spring'.

No. 66H28. Patented Nov. 6, |900. R. MUSEE.

ADJUSTABLE HUOF EXPANDER.

(Application Bled J une 23, 1899,\ (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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nu: ohms PETERS cu Pnoou'mo. WASHING-mm o. c.

No. 66|,I28. Patented Nov. 6, |900. R. MOSER.

ADJUSTABLE HOOF EXPANDER.

(Application led June 23, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED f STATES PTNT Ori-ues.

ROBERT MOSER, O F

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF rlO JOHN G. ROMPEL,.OF SAME PLACE.

` ADJUSTABLE HOOF-EXPANDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,128, dated November 6, 1900.

Application tiled June 23, 1899 .Serial No. 721,603. tNo muriel.'

To all whom .it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT MOSER, of Kansas City, Jackson county, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Hoof-Restorers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in hoof-expanders for horses, any object being to providea device whereby the unnaturally- 1o contracted heel of a horses hoof may be checked in its tendency to grow inward and gradually forced outward lfrom the frog until ultimately the hoof shallhe restored to its .natural shape.

My invention relates especially to novel means of attaching the spring-arms or expander proper to the hoof and supporting the same in position thereon.

y In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is zo a view of the bottom of a horses hoof, showing one form of my expander applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the preferred form of my invention in use in connection with a bar-shoe. Fig. 3 is a similar view z5 showing different means of supporting the expander on the hoof, also a different form of heel attachment.l Fig. 4: is a rear view of what. is shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows another form of the expander. Fig. 6 is a modificao tion of Fig. 3.

In said drawings, 1 designates the lteof, and 2 the groove or channeibetween the frog 3 and the sides of the heel 4.

5 designates recesses or cavities formed at 3 5 the rear end and in each of the outer sides of the grooves 2 to receive the points of the expanding-spring. Said spring appears in its simplest form in Fig. 1, where it consists of au angular spring formed with a loop or coil 4o 6 at its apex, with two spring-arms 8 extending toward t-he heel and terminating in outwardly-extending hooks 9which engage the cavities 5. If preferred, each of the springarms 8 may be provided about midway of its length with a coil 10 for greater resiliency. The spring-arms when adjusted on the hoof act in a well-known manner, exerting a strong and continuous pressure uponvthe sides of the heel to which they are applied, which 5o pressure prevents the frog from being crowded bya contracting heel b v forcingthe latter outwardly, and this effect continues as long as the spreader is kept on the hoof, the device accommodating itself Without any material diminution in its pressure to the hoof as it spreads.

Fig. l shows the expander without any special means of support for the forward end of the spring, this type of expander being for hospital use-that is, for sick horses not in 6o service-and in such case the forward end ot the expander is usually supported by a bandage or other preferred means. For use on horses in service I have devised an improved means of supporting the frontend of the angular expanding-spring, my p referred form being illustrated in Fig. 2. The spring is formed with a threaded loop or eye 6 'at the angle, to which is rigidly secured, by a bolt or screw 14 on the upper side of the spring 7o or toward the hoof, a V-shaped fork or the two arms of which extend outwardly between the shoe E and the hoof, so that their ends rest upon the former. This fork is made quite thin and of soft steel, so that said arms may readily be bent in any direction to accommodate themselves to hoofs or shoes of any size or form, and any excess in length over what is needed is to be clipped od.

Fig. 5 shows a modification of Fig. 2, a sin- .8o gle'extension 6b integral with the spring be ing substituted for the yoke 22.

In Fig. 3 I show another method of supporting the spring consisting of thin dat plates 15, rigidly secured to the arms 8 and 85 with their free edges extending outwardly between the shoe and hoof. In this instance the plates l5 are formed with extensions 19, which are bent up around the arms 8 and back between the body of the plates and the 9o sole of the hoof, being secured to the hoof by screwsv 20. The plates may be further secured to the arms by staples 21, extending up from said plates and embracing the coils 10 of the arms.

Fig. 6 shows a different manner of securing the plates ou the arms 8 by means of screws 16, extendingup through said plates and engaging short metallic bars 17, interposed between the plates and the sole of the hoof and roo yoke 2 providedwith flanges 18, slightly overlapping the arms 8.

Fig. 4 is a rear view of what is shown in Fig. 3 and showsA a new method of attaching the ends of the spring-arms 8 to the insides of the hee1,"which consists in turning the ends of the arms 8 upwardlyinstead of outwardly and forming on the outer surfaces of such upturned ends aseries of serrations or barbs 9, which under the pressure of the spring embed themselves slightly in the shell of the heel, and thus retain the rear end of the expander in position. Itis obvious that these barbed terminals may be substituted for the outer surfaces of such upturned ends, substantially as set forth.

2. A hoof-expander consisting of a pair ot' diverging spring-arms, formed with a loop or eye at their angle of intersection, terminals at the ends of said arms adapted to engage the rear portion of a hoof,` and with a V- shaped fork secured in said loop and having its prongs extending forwardly and adapted to engage seats between the forward portions 0f the hoof and shoe, substantially as set forth.

3. In ahoof-expander of the type described, apairof outwardly-extendingwings or plates,

l5 hooked ends in any of the forms of the exeach rigidly secured on one of the spring- 4o panding-spring shown in the drawings. arms, with its free edge adapted to be inter- Having described my improvements, what posed between the hoof and shoe, substan- I claim as new, and desire to sec n re. by Letters tially as set forth. 1 Patent. is- In testimony whereof I affix my signature 2o l. A hoof-expander consisting of a pair of in the presence of two witnesses.

' divergingspring-arms suitablysupported'on 1 lthe front portion of the hoof and extending ROBERT MOSPJB" rearwardly upon each side the frog to termi- Witnesses:

` nals formed by turning up the ends of said M. R. REMLEY,

z5 arms and forming serrations or barbs in the H. C. RODGERS.

51 5 5/.5 l M7, L/ f7 p 

